Vacuum Tank

[Wolf S.]

hi everyone,

i want to restore the vacuum tank. luckily it doesn't leak yet.
it's quite rusty on the outside. a quick sandblast and a paint job would do for the outside.

was the tank painted semi gloss black?

what about the inside? is there a way to clean and seal the inside?

how many hose attachement nobs did the vacuum tank have for 1970?

thanks

[Jack H.]

Re: Vacuum Tank

Hi Wolfie! My notes show the same vacuum reservoir was used '70-72. It's identifiable by the presense of THREE inlet/outlet nipples AND you should discover the front side (near one of the nipples) stamped with its GM PN, 3966704. The PN should correspond to that called out in your copy of the AIM.

External color was semi-gloss black. As far as protecting the inside, about all you can do is partially fill it with a rust arresting paint, swish around to get full coverage, empty the excess and allow to air dry/set-up.

[Wolf S.]

Re: Vacuum Tank

thanks jack,
my tank does have 3 knobs.

i'll give rust inhibiting paint a try.

what about sealant used for the gas tank?

[Jack H.]

Re: Vacuum Tank

Sealant? Plug the inlet/outlet nipples and pull a vacuum on the tank to assess its integrity. If she's leaking, that's probably NOT a good sign...

You might be able to plug the leak(s) by finding them and using silver solder. But, once a tank is rotted ENOUGH to spring random leaks, you're kind of pushing on a rope trying to plug individual holes... That's telling you there's significant material loss and it's probably just a matter of time before other container breaches appear.

BTW, most radiator repair shops have an inspection tank where they submerse radiators, inject compressed air, and look for bubble trails from leaks at faulty seam lines, Etc... It should be a piece of cake for either a French or German radiator shop to pressure check your vacuum reservior for you if you don't feel confident in your abilities.

[Wolf S.]

Re: Vacuum Tank

ok
the tank doesn't leak.
just thinking of some preventive measures so that it will never leak.